About: Our popular chain offers a variety of frozen treats including its famous Italian Ice, made fresh daily with real fruit, available in over sixty-five flavors, Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard, Milkshakes, Sundaes with Unlimited Toppings, Light Custard, Frozen Custard Cakes, Custard Cookie Sandwiches made with OREO®, layered Gelati as well as its signature Misto® and Blendini® creations. Since 1984, “Ice, Custard, Happiness,” has been the brand’s motto, and almost thirty years later, Rita’s is still dedicated to serving up a big dose of happiness with their freshly made, delicious, custom treats, in a fun-filled atmosphere. (Source: Rita’s Italian Ice on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitasItalianIceCompany/info)

The ambiance: You know, it’s like an ice cream shop, except you can get Italian Ice and custard, which is just that much closer to God.

Image courtesy franchiseexpo.com

The Munch: A friend mentioned Rita’s once to me, so when went made our trek to Pizzeria Limone and I saw it just right there, I decided I’d need to try it out with Mom. After all, Italian ice sounded intriguing, and who doesn’t love frozen custard. I ordered:

Gelati: Juicy Pear topped with Chocolate Custard

I know, the bright green and brown are kind of an off-putting color combination.

Mom said it was weird that I ordered Juicy Pear with Chocolate, and it’s probably not for everyone, but I think that’s an underused flavor combination. The Gelati is one of several different iterations of Italian Ice and/or Custard you can order at Rita’s, and it’s just ice with custard on top, giving you the best of both worlds. The ice flavors vary from day to day, but the custard flavors are pretty constant, and they are: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and orange cream (at this particular location).

The Italian ice is somewhere in between a Sno-Cone and Hawaiian Shaved Ice, and it’s AWESOME. I loved the flavor and texture, and then when you combined it with a spoonful of thick, creamy, indulgent frozen custard … mmm. I want to go there right now, but it’s Sunday and 1. I don’t patronize businesses on Sundays and 2. it’s not open anyhow.

The bill: ~$4 – $4.50. This was another Mom treat, so I’m unsure about the exact cost, but I don’t recall looking at the menu board and thinking, “Whoa that’s expensive.” Plus they have a punch card system (it’s an app, and a brilliant one at that), so after eight purchases, you get one free.

Total score: 8/10 — I wish there were more frozen custard flavors, but the Italian ice flavors are plentiful (and creative), so that makes up for it. I’ll definitely be hitting Rita’s up regularly during the summer months!

About: Here at Pizzeria Limone our passion is to create for our customers the best Neapolitan style pizza on the planet and deliver these pizzas in a warm, inviting fine-casual dining atmosphere. We began this journey by carefully creating our signature hand stretched dough that produces a lightly blistered crisp crust with a gentle crumb, and that’s only the beginning.

Then using only the finest ingredients we could find, we thoughtfully created sensational, mouthwatering pizzas that stay close to their Italian roots, but that are also innovative and delicious. We call this style of Pizza, “Neopolitan Revival”, where we believe we improve on an already legendary style of pizza.

Our journey to create the best pizzas in the world is far from complete as we continue to create exciting pizza combinations that will be sure to please the tastes of our discriminating clientele. Please come in and enjoy our incredible pizzas and you will agree that our passion has made its way into every aspect of Pizzeria Limone. Benvenuti! Source: Pizzeria Limone website, http://pizzerialimone.net/our-passion/

The ambiance: It reads a lot like a Chipotle for pizza — nice, open seating, loud music (that varies from Italian operettas to Pharrell Williams, which was weird, I’m just going to say that right now).

The Munch: Having now moved about 45 minutes away from our favorite pizzeria (Pizzeria 712, of course), I was really on a mission to find something that would be similar. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to find an exact fit, I’ll admit that I went into Limone with lower expectations. Shame, shame, shame on me. While it’s not as impressive with an ever-changing seasonal menu and a menu made up entirely of local and/or in-house made goods, the pizzas and salads are innovative and delicious. We ordered:

Tre Sorelle salad (half-size)

Insalata Caprese

Margherita Pizza

Pera Pizza

Limone Gelato

Limone Brownie

Okay, so Mom was in town, which meant more food and more wild abandon because she was paying for it. That being said, the prices are so reasonable, it kind of makes you wonder upon ordering whether it’s going to be top quality. Don’t question it — just accept that some places don’t use fancy china and silverware and then pass those savings on to you, while serving up high quality, delicious food. <—- the snobbiest thing I’ll ever write in this blog, I promise.

The salads were fantastic — the Tre Sorelle features freshly shaved parmesan cheese atop a bed of fresh greens, blackberries, thinly sliced pear, and pistachios, all tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, which I can say pretty confidently was one of the best salad dressings I’ve ever eaten. The Insalata Caprese was very similar to those I’ve eaten at other restaurants — fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, but they also added pistachios to the top and the added textural difference was a nice change-up from the usual.

I love a good brick-oven baked pizza, and theirs did not disappoint at all. The crust had a good chew to it, while being extremely thin and crisp along the edges. The Margherita had mozzarella, basil, and halved grape tomatoes, and it was really delicious. The Pera (a difficult decision for me to make, since I wanted to try all of them) had five cheeses, thinly sliced prosciutto, pears, red onion, pistachios, and basil atop an olive oil base rather than sauce, and the sweetness of the prosciutto and pears was a lovely change from more savory pizzas.

Pera Pizza

The flavor of the gelato was akin to frozen lemonade, and was extremely refreshing, though I was disappointed that it didn’t have the usual thick creaminess gelato has (if it’s going to include that much butterfat, I want to experience it). I would order it again, however, based upon taste alone, but it read a lot more like a sorbet. The brownie was moist, rich, and fudgy, with a perfectly sweet/tart lemon buttercream under fudge ganache. I was at first skeptical about the combination of lemon and chocolate, but it was delicious!

The bill: ~$40, based upon the prices listed on their online menu (I believe the Insalata Caprese is a dollar more these days, however). For all the food and different tastes we experienced, it was a fantastic deal!

Total score: 8/10 – I do wish they had a more seasonal menu (I’m curious what the offerings with blackberries are like in, say, November), and as aforementioned, the gelato could have been creamier, but I’m excited to return to try out the rest of the menu!

I’m no longer in Utah county, so the blog will get a bit of an update, and you’ll start hearing about my culinary escapades in Salt Lake county instead! (You know, when I actually get it together and blog about all the delicious foods I eat.) I’m excited to start searching for my next favorite restaurant near my home and hope you join me on my journey. (Just the cheesiest thing I’ve ever typed you’re welcome.)

About: A dream that started in our home kitchen turned into Cupcake Chic. Originally a cupcakery, we have added cakes, cookies, bon bons and other treats to our gourmet treat menu. So, stop by and get something great to eat. Source: Cupcake Chic website, http://www.cupcakechicutah.com/aboutUs.html

The ambiance: It’s small and bright, with exceptionally clean glass cases featuring all of their delicious goodies. They have a few seats, but this is more of a grab and go type of place, which is probably for the better since you will feel compelled to buy one of everything and eat it at home in your stretchy pants.

The Munch: If you yourself don’t have incredible self-discipline, you’ll need to take someone with you who does. In my case, it was Husband, who despite my pleadings wouldn’t give in to our each getting one treat for the evening. I knew I didn’t want anything gluten-free because I don’t have celiac, and I was pretty certain I didn’t want a sugar cookie since they’re particularly known for their cupcakes, but narrowing it down to one flavor was extremely taxing. Husband, on the other hand, walked in, glanced around, and knew precisely what to get himself. We ordered:

The Classic cupcake

S’mores bar

I really dislike dense cupcakes, and that’s what I’ve tended to find in Utah county. So when I bit into my Hostess-themed cake and was met with a deliciously fine crumb, I was very pleased. The cake and frosting were both made with high quality chocolate (the frosting was actually ganache, so ’nuff said), but they weren’t so dark that they were bitter. Nor were they cloying — they were perfectly chocolate. And inside the center, rather than an ambiguous white “cream,” they had piped in their homemade marshmallow creme, which was divine.

Husband raved about that s’mores bar for days. As he was eating it, he kept remarking how delicious it was, when he finished it, he remarked at how delicious it was, and I’m not sure a day has gone by that he hasn’t brought it up in casual conversation. The bar part was made with graham cracker crumbs but was soft like a cookie (and not crumbly or messy), the chocolate spread tasted like a big melted Hershey bar, and the marshmallow creme on top was just as divine as in the Classic cupcake. Though rich, it was definitely finishable, and it wasn’t cloying.

We agreed (more or less — I brought up this idea, and he didn’t say no) to buying a treat from Cupcake Chic every week because it seemed like the right thing to do.

The bill: $5.12, plus a free punch because I missed the free birthday cupcake sign-up and it was my birthday week. I like that kid a lot. And that total? For two delicious, gourmet homemade treats? They’re practically giving it away.

About: It’s true, JT has a heart as big as all outdoors and a big, big love of family and friends. That’s why he’s spent years experimenting, tasting, studying, and getting the flavors and meals “just right” for everyone he loves. But you’ve probably figured out that JT LOVES BBQ too! If you ask him what he had for breakfast, 9 times out of 10 he’s sure to tell you “Pork Sandwich with a side of Chicken.” His new Five-Star BBQ and Catering Company is JT’s lifelong dream… something he’s envisioned for years… BBQ 24/7. What could be better? (source: Five Star BBQ website, http://5starbbqcompany.com/aboutus.html)

Photo courtesy of Five Star BBQ on Facebook

The ambiance: The first time I ever drove by Five Star, on our way to a large recycling plant, I mentioned to Husband, “Look at that placce — it’s a big, old house. It’s gotta be amazing.” Because for whatever reason, restaurants that look campy on the outside (not to be mistaken for dirty or old or not well-kept up) tend to have really delicious food inside. We continued to drive by and finally decided to enter its doors for lunch. It’s a fairly stark interior with tile floor, one large menu on the wall, vintage art, and red/white checked tablecloth-covered tables with folding chairs. Despite our arriving around 1:00 pm to miss the lunch rush, there were still quite a few full tables and diners continuing to come through the front doors during our entire meal. The first thing we noticed was the SOLD OUT sign over the Smoked Sausage — any time a place runs out of food, that’s a really excellent sign. Although BBQ is notoriously messy food to eat, the entire restaurant was pleasantly clean with freshly wiped down tables and not a lot of mess on the floor.

I didn’t actually ask if I could take his photo, but he seemed pretty unperturbed.

Although I don’t mention service very often, I have to say theirs was impeccable. The gentleman who helped us was extremely knowledgeable about all the food he was serving up, with excellent recommendations for each customer, and a willingness to answer any questions people might have. When I gave them kudos for such delicious food, they were all very gracious about it, despite the fact that I’m sure they realize they’re the best BBQ restaurant in Utah.

The Munch: Husband insists that he’s not much of a BBQ fan, and I’m not quite sure as to why that may be, so it actually took some prodding to get him there in the first place — he just never “felt like it.” When we first walked in, however, we were greeted and immediately offered up samples of each meat since we were first-timers. BBQ restaurants are always touting their “melt in your mouth” meat, but their brisket, pulled pork, and smoked chicken transcended even that description. It was extremely tender, with an almost buttery texture, and a deep, rich flavor. They have several delicious looking sides, as well, which are prepared fresh. We ordered:

The Brisket Plate with creamed corn, smoked beans, and cornbread with honey butter

The Pulled Pork Plate with mac & cheese, coleslaw, and cornbread

The portions were enormous — since I’m not much of a food weigher, I can’t say whether we each got 1/4 lb. or 1/2 lb. of meat, and the sides were plentiful. Husband’s coleslaw, sauced only once it was served to keep the cabbage fresh and crisp, took up half his plate alone, and I was unable to finish my smoked beans. As aforementioned, the meat was remarkably tender, the type you could eat with just a fork or even your fingers because it fell apart so easily.

Their house BBQ sauce was rich and delicious with a tangy kick — not too cloying nor smoky. I overheard a customer asking if the sauce could be purchased, and I couldn’t blame him — if I were to bring a bottle home for myself, I’d eat it on everything. Cardboard. Paper. Dry cat food. They have several other sauces available, all made in-house, like smoky chili, Carolina, and JT’s Alabama, which we were told was a peppery, horseradish-based white sauce. I ate my meal too quickly to be able to try the other sauces, so I’ll need to try them when we return.

Photo courtesy of Five Star BBQ on Facebook

I’m a sucker for creamed corn, purchasing it bulk at the grocery store, and I always order it at restaurants when I can because Husband doesn’t eat corn (I know). Theirs is a popular option with diners, and I understand why. It’s very creamy, well-flavored, made with corn fresh off the cob in a slightly cheesy sauce. I gobbled that right up and will probably order it every time I go. The smoked beans were rich, flavorful, and deep, and you could taste the molasses and brown sugar in them. I’ve had negative experiences at BBQ places in the past because the baked/smoked beans were in a base that clashed with the BBQ sauce, but that was not the case at Five Star — the complemented each other very well.

I initially shied away from ordering the coleslaw because it wasn’t pre-sauced — although I understood why they’d want to keep it fresh and crisp, I was worried the flavors wouldn’t have melded well together, and I was incorrect. It had a great, well-mixed flavor, a little on the vinegary side, and their method did keep the cabbage so fresh that it remained a star in the dish. His mac & cheese was also very delicious — cheesy, creamy, and smooth, although he made the good point that mac & cheese is pretty difficult to ruin. I’m excited to try the other sides, such as Brunswick Stew, Applesauce, Homemade Chips, and more. The cornbread was good; the honey butter made it great.

The bill: $25.90 with tax and tip. For the portion sizes, their prices are verging on ridiculous (but don’t tell them that). Not only is it one of the most delicious restaurants at which I’ve dined, it was also one of the most reasonably priced.

Total score: 10/10. This will remain the best BBQ I’ve ever eaten (and trust me, I’ve had a lot of it, from Oregon to Utah). In fact, he mentioned that sometimes customers from Texas will come in and mention that it’s better than what they can get at home. I’m apt to believe them. If we’re going to get really nitpicky, the only complaint I have is their usage of styrofoam cups, which aren’t very environmentally friendly (when I complain about cups, you know it’s good). I look forward to making it a regular date night spot for us.

About: We love chocolate and the word “chocolate” is synonymous (in our minds) with dessert. So for those of you who don´t share our cocoa passion, we have other offerings. But if we had it our way, the heavens would rain chocolaty brown goodness. Source: The Chocolate website, http://www.thechocolatedc.com/faq.php

The ambiance: It’s a lot like walking into a large, old house that magically has two small dessert cases, four cake plates, and a heavenly scent of warm sugar. There are a couple smaller tables on the ground level, along with a couch and easy chairs on which you can relax. There is also a second level that I didn’t visit because I was quite content sitting at my table and devouring my dessert. It’s homey (of course) and comfortable and fosters a real sense of friendship and family. Am I getting too mushy on you? I can’t help it — dessert makes me content.

The Munch: I wanted to try all the things, trust me. It’s very difficult for a girl like me walk into a strictly desserts restaurant and use self-restraint, but I’d just eaten a large meal of delicious Thai food and was quite sure I wouldn’t be able to hold much more. They were sampling out their Turtle Brownies, which were decadent, dense, moist, fudgy, with crunchy pecans and creamy, sweet caramel, and I considered purchasing the rest. But I felt determined to try as many items as I could, so I passed and then made the difficult decision between what looked like the world’s most perfect fruit tarts, large, frosted sugar cookies, cupcakes, or a slice of three (four?) layer cake. I finally chose the latter. And because I’m a nice wife, I purchased one cupcake for Husband, who ate it in probably thirty seconds and one inhalation. Really — I brought it home, stepped into the bedroom to hang up my jacket, heard the rustling of the bag, returned to the kitchen, and it was gone. I ordered:

The Brooklyn Blackout

German Chocolate cupcake

The presentation was beautiful as well.

I wanted to love my piece of cake, a “luscious, sweet chocolate cake paired with a dark chocolate filling and rich dark chocolate frosting” (source: The Chocolate website, http://www.thechocolatedc.com/menu.php) in the sort of way that would drive me to purchase a whole cake for $48 to enjoy for the rest of the week. I didn’t, which isn’t to say it wasn’t completely and utterly delicious, and that made me just a little disappointed. To date, however, I’ve found only one chocolate cake that was the epitome of what I want chocolate cake to be, and it was at a bridal fair I attended (when I wasn’t planning on getting married), so it was a little moot. I prefer cakes to be on the lighter side to cut through the richness. If you like a dense, rich cake, then The Chocolate will absolutely deliver, and I’d say my lack of pure elation was due entirely to my personal preferences. The filling and frosting, however, were divine — not too dark and bittersweet, but not so sweet that I felt the need to run to the dentist afterward. I was encouraged by my hairstylist to order the Kitty Katrina, a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream, but I don’t believe in vanilla desserts and opted against it. However, I had a bite of my friend’s, and I felt as though it was a really delicious dessert if you’re not morally opposed to a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream. The flavor was like eating a vanilla bean rather than an ambiguous sweet, white taste, and it was quite rich, certainly something I’d recommend to others.

Husband didn’t have a lot to say about the cupcake beyond “Yeah, it was good,” but if he’d taken time to savor it, I’m sure I could have coaxed out a little more review. I chose it because that’s one of his favorite flavors and the frosting to cupcake ratio seemed perfect — although I am a huge fan of frosting, I’ve been to cupcakeries that had as much frosting as cake, and that was too much to handle. I’d certainly return and try their other cupcakes as well, which are more traditional cake flavors as opposed to their signature cakes, which are Fancy. With a capital “f.”

The bill: Sitting somewhere around $8.50 with tax and tip — I can’t locate either the receipt or the transaction online, so I’m giving my best guesstimate. While the prices may seem a little steep, they’re definitely worth it for the quality of product you receive. Also keep in mind that if you go to a restaurant, a three layer cake can set you back up to $9 or $10, so $4.89 per slice is quite a bargain.

Total score: 8/10 — the desserts were delicious and the atmosphere comfortable, plus the staff was so sweet and friendly (as you’d expect at a cafe that probably goes through a ton of sugar a month). I’m looking forward to returning so I might sample their other tasty offerings — after all, I’ve got my eye on that fruit tart.

About: At Station 22, we dig way down deep into our American roots to bring you fresh, reinvented versions of family recipes, classic dishes and some new flavors you never imagined. … Station 22 grew organically to become what it is today. Rather than bringing in an outside concept, the historic downtown brought this concept to us. We have tried to tailor this restaurant to the needs and wants of the community by listening closely to comments and critique. We adjust constantly and strive to improve our business every day. We hope it shows! Source: Station 22 website, http://station22cafe.com/our-roots/

The ambiance: You get the sense that a lot of Provo hipsters are spending their time at places like Station 22. I’ll admit, the funky decor (large, artificial deer heads are apparently a hot commodity in Utah county — see also: The Awful Waffle), mismatched chairs, and twine-wrapped napkins made me a little worried that my friend and I would suddenly find ourselves in what appeared to be a food-serving concert for Iron & Wine. But, “judge not lest ye be not judged,” and it’s a welcoming, comfortable restaurant with a friendly staff.

The Munch: Since I am the type of person who reads a menu and peruses Facebook photos beforehand, I knew I was going to order the Sage-Fried Chicken and Waffles, and I was genuinely hoping my friend would order the Southern Shrimp & Grits (she did, after my light “encouragement,” aka I think she saw my face and knew if she didn’t order it, our friendship would be on the rocks). Therefore, we ordered:

Sage-Fried Chicken and Waffles

Southern Shrimp & Grits

Cookies & Milk

I’ve spent years watching food trends like chicken and waffles come about, but I feel quite particularly about where I might consume said food trends. Even though IHOP features them prominently on their menu, I’m probably not going to try them there. However, I felt like Station 22 was probably going to be my best bet in terms of restaurant choices for chicken and waffles, and I’m so glad I tried them there.

The waffle was a little sweet and buttery, the fried chicken was perfectly crisp and delicious, without being greasy, and it stayed that way for the remainder of the meal, even after I dumped all the maple syrup (real) over it. The chicken was topped with two thick-cut slices of candied bacon, and fried sage, making for a sweet, salty, savory, hearty dish. If you question whether chicken and waffles are a good pair, you should stop right now and head straight to Station 22. This entree alone was delicious enough to make Station 22 my favorite restaurant in Utah county, bumping Pizzeria 712 to second place.

The shrimp and grits, however, were nothing to sneeze at. The grits were supremely cheesy and flavorful, with a good texture (not mushy). The shrimp was plump and meaty, which is a difficult thing to find in a landlocked state, and the spicy bbq sauce was both full of heat and sweetness, creating a well-rounded flavor. Served with your choice of a side, my friend and I decided upon the sweet potato wedges, which were crispy, perfectly salted, and served with a great dipping sauce.

To round out our meal, we decided upon the cookies and milk for dessert; two large, homemade cinnamon-sugar cookies, served with cardamom milk. The presentation of all the dishes was impeccable (chicken and waffles in a personal-size cast-iron skillet, fries in a paper-lined basket), and the dessert really took the cake (one bad pun per post, please). The milk was served in a small milk jug and was warm, a perfect accompaniment to the cookies. While I don’t particularly care for the flavor of cardamom, I found the combination rather comforting, and it paired well with the cookies. I would certainly order this again.

The bill: $13.64 with tax and tip, although our server offered dessert for free because it took awhile to get to our table, so it would have been more along the lines of about $16 (since my friend and I were going to split the cost of the dessert down the middle). For the quality and quantity of food, Station 22’s prices are extremely reasonable, and it’s an excellent place to meet friends or have a nice date night.

Total score: 10/10. Unquestionably the best restaurant I’ve been to in Utah county, more delicious than even Pizzeria 712 because it features a homey menu full of comfort foods. They use sustainable, organic ingredients where they can, and it shows.